Hello blogging friends! We are a few weeks into January and already I have a few finishes. Earlier in the month I finished the 1 ball cowl I had started over the summer and I just love how it turned out.

The yarn is “Shawl in a Ball” from Lion Brand. The color is Community Coral. It was pretty mindless knitting in stockinette stitch and so it became my take along project for knitting on car rides that were 1/2 an hour or more. After the new year, I decided to bite the bullet and knit on it until I finished the skein. I have already worn it once and it is nice and warm.

Next up I have my first 2 scrapbook pages for the year. They were part of a kit from my Local Scrapbook store. January pages of the Calendar Club.

I have done the calendar club at this shop for the past 4 or 5 years, but this year is going to be my favorite as she will be using products from Blue Fern. I Love their products and I enjoyed creating these pages. Hopefully I can get more pictures on them and keep up with it all year. Photos will hide those finger prints on the 2nd page from me putting lotion on my hands. Ugh.

Next up is my first book finish.

I finished this book on Wednesday. It is the 2nd in The Guardian Trilogy from Nora Roberts. With all of my hobbies, reading takes a back seat, reading usually only at lunch time or when I am at a hair appointment or take my car in for an oil change. One of my goals this year is to read more. I am happy to have my first book finished in January. This series is pretty good. I am anxious to start the 3rd book and see how it finishes up.

I finished this sweet little thing last night:

She was a pretty quick stitch. Binge watching the old X-Files has certainly helped me move right along with her. She is White Angel Trumpet, a Poison Pixie from Nora Corbet. I stitched her on a OOAK 16ct Aida from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. The fabric looks like it has poisonous gasses in greens and grays. I think it is perfect for her.

So I dug this WIP out to work on for now.

This one is Passione Ricamo’s 20th Anniversary SAL. It is quite a large piece and I would love to finish this one this year. There are many blocks on this one each containing a portion of different PR patterns from over the years. I am stitching on 16ct Aida Nantucket Sky from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. It is truly going to be an amazing piece. Not sure how long I will stitch on it, but every stitch will put me closer to a finish, right?

So that is it for my finishes so far this month. I have a long list of goals for 2018 and I am still trying to put them into a “18 in 2018” order. I hope to have that list nailed down for my next post. So what are your goals for 2018? What are you currently working on? I’d love to hear all about it 🙂

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Happy New Year, my blogging friends! I do wish you all a wonderful, happy, healthy 2018. I just love starting a new year. It’s a blank page to make it what you want; to make those lists of things to do, (and not do) and what we want to accomplish in the new year. It is also my birthday month, so I am a little partial to January 😉 I have made my list of New Year Resolutions and things I would like to do this year. It is a really long list and I intend to work very hard at accomplishing all of my goals. Some of the things at the top of my list are to eat healthier by cooking more, get my butt on the tread mill, clean and purge my entire house (I got a good start in December) eliminate a lot of knitting and scrapbooking stash and to finish cross stitch WIP’s. I have been pretty good at working on WIP’s this last year, so hopefully that will continue into the new year. So, let’s get to the stitchy stuff. I finished the Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.

I put the last stitch in just minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve. I really, really enjoyed this stitch all year long and am so pleased with my color selections. If you are seeing this for the first time, I stitched this on 16ct Aida Castleview by Silkweaver. I stitched with Sullivan’s variegated London Fog and DMC 3888. And a special thank you to the gals that donated some 3888 floss to me so that I could finish this project. I chose this floss from my DMC cabinet and didn’t realize that it was a color that was offered in a box of new colors that have not been added to the DMC line. So I really appreciate the gals helping me out. If you are interested in stitching this, the pattern sections are FREE from Linen and Threads and they are still available on their website. They have also started a new Mystery Sampler for 2018, for FREE, and I have a feeling it will be just as gorgeous as this one. The January section is up on the website. I can’t wait for my threads to get here and to get that special piece of fabric so I can get started on it. Here is another angle of my finished piece.

I have put a few stitches into my newest start, White Angel Trumpet, by Nora Corbett.

So far this has been a very nice, relaxing stitch. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida, One of a Kind from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.

That is all for now. I do hope to blog more this year. I’d love to say that I will be create a new post every week, but I think I would totally fail at that one right off the bat. So I will post when I can and share what I am up to 😉 So what are your goals for 2018? I’d love to hear about them. I will leave you with a gorgeous winter sunset I saw last night 🙂 I am still thinking about the gorgeous pinks and purples and oranges and what a wonderful piece of fabric that would be.

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This last weekend I picked up Iris from the framer. The frame is darker than what I ordered, so we will see if it grows on my.

I ordered a brown frame, but this is more black. It is the correct number, perhaps they used a different color stain than the corner I chose. I will see how I like it after some time. There are also a couple of large beads in her hair that are turned sideways. That may bother me more than the frame. We shall see. In case you are seeing her for the first time, she is Iris from Nora Corbett, stitched on 16ct Aida from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.

In my last post I told you I started the Mystery Sampler from Linens and Thread. I was stitching it in DMC 310 – black, but was not liking how I could see the fabric through the stitches. So after looking at (and buying) many different variegated threads, I found one that I liked with my fabric. So here is my new start on the sampler.

I could not get a good picture of the colors, but I am using Sullivans London Fog. Which is a gray/blue/purple thread. I have decided to add some solid accents, such as the dragon which I stitched in DMC 3888. The fabric is 16ct Aida Castleview from Silkweaver. I am really liking how this is working up. If you are interested in stitching this design, it is a Stitch A Long from Linens and Thread and it is FREE. The January and February parts are out now and a new section will be introduced the first of each month until the end of the year. Here is a closer picture:

I have also ordered yarn to start a temperature blanket and I am excited to get crocheting on that when the yarn arrives. More on that when I get it started. So what new project have you recently picked up or are dying to start?

And remember the piece I was stitching for a friend, so I couldn’t show it? Well hubby also picked it up from the framer and here it is:

Yeah, my friend is a Trekkie and I finally got this stitched up for her. It is actually stitched on a blue 14ct opal fabric. Here is a better picture of the fabric:

My friend was actually at my house on Saturday for a card class when hubby came home with it, so I was able to give it to her right away. She loves it and was planning on taking it to work today to show all of her Trekkie friends and then I am sure she will find the perfect place to hang it at her house.

She is a cutie. I can’t wait to get her framed. So now I am working on the Passione Ricamo’s A Journey Into the Deep. I would love to finish this one before starting a new Pixie. Here is how I left the mermaid last night:

I know you can’t tell from this picture, but this is a pretty big piece. I am almost finished the tail, and then I have another fish to do to the right of the tail and another further up then I can move up to her sweet face and all that hair. And she does have a million beads, too, so she will be nice and sparkly! I am stitching her on 28ct Lugana Pixie Dust from Silkweaver.

I also did something new. I knitted an infinity scarf on size 50 needles. Size 50!! Boy was that a little awkward.

The yarn is Red Heart Boutique Twilight in color Metallic. It is soft and will be nice and warm on the very cold days that they are predicting we will have this winter.

I have also been making Christmas cards. One for every day in October. Here is today’s card:

If you want to see the prior 23 cards, you can view them on my business facebook page at Ginny’s Place, Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. Leave a comment so I know you visited and let me know what you think of the cards.

Well, now I am all up to date with what has been happening with me the last month. What have you been working on?

Hello my Bloggy friends! It is officially fall where I am and the leaves are starting to change and there was a nip in the air this morning. The sun is shining brightly today, so it is a happy day. I have been stitching and stamping and scrapbooking and shopping 🙂 So let me begin with my Iris project:

If this is your first time seeing her, she is Iris Pixie by Nora Corbett. I am stitching her on a One of a Kind fabric from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics in 16ct Aida. Johanna creates the most beautiful, one of a kind fabrics! The best way to purchase them is in her Etsy shop; Fantasy Dyed Fabrics Etsy It is so quick and easy that way. What you see is what you get and very quickly, too. I am finished with the bottom of the dress, except for outling and beading which will come later. I have started on the wing, and not sure I am liking the colors. The picture shows them a little more purply, but mine appear to be more gray. But the Kreinik thread (the three darker dashes in the wing) are a Pewter color, so maybe they are supposed to be that way. I will continue as the chart says, when I pick her back up, and see if I like it more. For now she has been put aside so that I can work on another project. I can’t show much, as it is a gift but I will give you a peek:

I know, not much of a peek. But did you notice that I am using Q-snaps on this project? Wow! I want to say that I am using them because they are awesome and great and all that, but in all actuality I am using them because 1. all of my scroll frames are in use and 2. The 14ct aida I am using is a stiff opal and I didn’t want to use a hoop. And 3. Almost all of the design fits in the square. I have been using it for almost a week and while it is not the comfortable feel of my scroll frame, it’s not too bad. I can’t rest it on my knee and stitch 2-handed like I am used to, so progress is slow. But that’s ok. It’s a nice change and I do plan on using this same Q-snap frame for a HAED design that have barely started a couple of years ago. Someday 🙂

This week I received some very happy mail.

Five new lovely bags and grime guards for my last 5 WIP’s. I can’t say enough about these bags! They are by Deanna and you can find her Facebook page at Deanna’s Frame Covers and Storage. She does such a wonderful job creating these bags and covers for all of us crazy stitchers with way too many projects on our hands! Her attention to detail is phenomenal, matching each fabric with the perfect lining and zipper. She also makes covers for Q-snaps (I have 2 sets on the way!) and grime guards for hoops also. Go and check her page out. She even has ready made sets available for purchase. And let her know you heard about her here on my blog 🙂

This week I finished another scarf 🙂

I am totally in LOVE with this scarf! Do I say that about every scarf I make? Probably. But I really love this one. These are usually not my colors, but I love the vintage, shabby chic look of it. Now I want clothes to match it 😉 The browns, tans and creams and just a hint of pink here and there make it perfect for fall. I’m not sure you can see in the photo, but there are sequins on the yarn that give it a little sparkle. The yarn is Patons Pirouette and the color is called Sienna Sparkle. So pretty.

Speaking of yarn, I went to Fiber Festival with a friend last weekend and found a sweet little yarn shop there. They also raise Alpaca’s there and so I am assuming they dye and spin their own yarn to sell in the little shop there. I couldn’t resist purchasing a couple of hanks of the softest yarn I could find in there.

The sweet lady there was so nice to wind them into yarn cakes for me. There is just something about a yarn cake that is so heavenly. The yarn on the left is 100% Alpaca wool while the one on the right is 80% Alpaca and 20% Merino wool. They are both so soft and I will have to find a scarf pattern for both. I think the one on the right will be perfect for a infinity scarf. I could have bought a lot more, but there is this huge stash of yarn at my house that has been growing that I really need to start using. Someday, right?

I have also been scrapbooking and getting into the latest craze of Memory Planners. I am totally sucked into Heidi Swapp’s world of Memory Planning. I had purchased a planner kit many months ago and decided that it wasn’t big enough for me to add photos and journal like I want. It was of a slimmer design. So I decided to turn it into a little scrapbook for my husband who had to go out of town to visit his Father whose health was failing. While he was gone, I created a little memory album of his trip with all of the pictures he texted me. It was all finished for him the day he returned home and he was thrilled with it.

Basically I took out the calendar pages and used some of the overlay pages and added stickers and papers and pocket pages. I even learned how to use a new phone app called PicFrame that is great for making photo collages. I was able to get all of the photos he texted me into the album and it is a nice keepsake of his trip to visit his family.

So that is what I have been up to lately. I also have some new cross stitch fabrics and patterns and threads that I have added to my stash, but they seem to be all over the place right now. I even have some plans for some new projects! Imagine that! I am also getting the knitting bug now that the weather is starting to cool off. So come back and visit to see what I am up to next 😉 What kinds of projects do you have in the works or what fun new projects are you planning?

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Happy Wednesday, my blogging friends! Since I took some pictures and added them to facebook, I thought I would update my little ole blog while I am still on the computer. So, here is my progress on Nora Corbett’s Iris:

She is really starting to come to life and looking so amazing on that fabric. It is a one of a kind from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics and is 16ct Aida. Just loving her so far and amazingly not so tired of the gold yet 😉

Today I finished reading this:

It took me a long time, but I must say it was a really good read. It is actually 3 books in one and I don’t take a lot of time to read. Mostly during my lunch hour when I can or when I am at the salon getting my hair done or waiting to get an oil change. This is isn’t my usual type of read. It was suggested by my husband who knew I would like it. And once I could get past the boring battle stuff and the sometimes boring details from the author, it was a great read. I really dragged out the last 30 pages or so as I really didn’t want it to end. So if you like those books about knights, squires, paladins, elves, dwarfs and kingdoms and many battles, then I do recommend this book.

Hello friends! Are you feeling like me and wondering where in the heck August went? I blinked and it was over, sigh. I did get to stitch, but first let me show you Aphrodite, back from the framer:

She turned out so beautiful. She is Mirabilia’s Aphrodite and I stitched her on 16ct Aida Kaleidoscope from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. Sorry about the light spot on the first photo, but it does show the frame better. But don’t like the frame too much. When picking this piece up, I was informed that the frame has been discontinued. Too bad, as I really like it. I tend to pick the same frames over and over, without realizing it. I guess I won’t be picking this frame again. I haven’t hung her on the wall yet, but I think I have a spot for her.

After I finished Aphrodite, I pulled out Passione Ricamo’s A Journey Into the Deep. I worked on it until August 21, 2016, which is when I couldn’t resist a new start any longer. (No pictures of A Journey, sorry) I started Nora Corbett’s Iris Pixie. Here she is after about a week of stitching:

Lots of browns and golds on this one. I am hoping to finish her before I get so bored with these colors. Can you see a bit of a leg on the right of the design? I am happily moving over to the right side of her dress. She will be a beauty when I finish her. And hopefully I can finish before I get the urge for a new start. Passione Ricamo just came out with her new design “Guiding Fairy”, which I have already purchased and have fabric on the way.

All are 16ct Aida and all of them except the top right one are small cuts for pixies or witches. The top right is my chosen fabric for Mirabilia’s Rapunzel. Another one I can’t wait to start 😉 Did you see those cute tags, attached with a button, hand-stitched to the fabric? How sweet is that? Johanna is doing an amazing job at dying beautiful fabrics. If you haven’t visited her facebook page, do so by clicking here. She only sells one of a kinds, so what you see is what you get.

This is 16ct Aida and is the August Fabric of the Month. Don’t worry; if you love it, she will probably add it to her website soon so that you can order it. I just love the colors. Maybe because they remind me of summer and I am trying to hang onto the last little bit. Some day, a very special design will find it’s way to this fabric.

And last week, this little fellow came to visit:

The first hummingbird I have seen at my house this summer. It was during the rain and he fed from every remaining flower on all 3 of my hanging plants. So he was here for quite a while and actually visited 4 times that day. He even flew over to my sliding glass doors where me and a friend were standing, watching him. He hovered in front of us, as if to say hello and went back to eating the sweet nectar. I haven’t seen him since. But I was able to get some pretty good photos for my scrapbook 🙂